Backstreet’s Back: The Boys Return After Five Years, Continue Vegas Residency

The boyband that has stayed strong for over 25 years has returned with a new single and album on the horizon, right before continuing their Las Vegas residency with 21 additional dates.

The Backstreet Boys have been a staple in boyband culture. While groups like NSYNC, 98 Degrees, and even One Direction split, Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, Kevin Richardson, A.J. McLean and Howie Dorough have stayed together, and plan to continue making music together. Yesterday, the band announced their first single in five years, titled “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” Alike some of their greatest hits — “I Want It That Way,” “Everybody,” and “As Long As You Love Me” to name a few — this new single offers a different take on their usual pop hooks and catchy melodies.

This could mean a new album is on the horizon, considering this is the first release since their 2013 record, In a World Like This. However, that would likely come after the boys finish up the next leg of the ‘Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life’ residency in Vegas. The first part of the trek consisted of 26 shows, and the second run will continue from July through November.

So far, the BSB fanbase has been exploding with positive reviews of the single; after its release at midnight, the song was the number one trending topic on Twitter in the U.S., and then worldwide.

The single also followed with a music video, showcasing the group’s choreography — something that has helped them stand apart from other boybands in the past.

From the looks of it, the BSB don’t plan on calling it quits anytime soon. Last month, they celebrated their 25th anniversary as a band, posting the following caption with a picture of the group from years ago.

“On April 20th, 1993 we became the Backstreet Boys. If you would have told us that 25 years later we would still be making music together, we would have never believed you. Thank you #BSBArmy Who’s ready for another 25 years? #KTBSPA #BSB25”

Littrell told People that they never would have thought about a residency in Vegas, but the run actually gave them time to not only reflect on the group, but also to create new material.

“I want to create new memories,” Littrell said. “We’ve been singing the same songs for almost 25 years. It’s not that we’re not excited to sing our old hits, but we want to grow, too. We don’t want to be stuck in what was. We want to continue to grow with our fans.”

Check out the full list of dates during BSB’s Vegas residency, and keep an eye out for a new album and potential world tour in the future.